Higher costs, lower budgets and fewer attendees — that’s the playing field for trade shows today, and likely for the foreseeable future. And in an increasingly competitive market, success might require being less than hospitable, even in the hospitality industry.
A current example hits close to home. The Hospitality Show, a new launch from the American Hotel & Lodging Association and Questex, will debut June 27-29, 2023, in Las Vegas, while HITEC, the Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition & Conference, will hold its 51th annual show in Toronto June 26-29, 2023.
Organizers of The Show, as they’re calling the new event, claim they had no other options: With just over a year from conception to launch, it was nearly impossible to find the space, dates and rates to accommodate a large trade gathering, says Akshar Patel, who joined Questex in June as senior director of events and strategy, hotel operations. “It’s just how the calendars and the moons and the stars all aligned at that point,” notes Patel, who spent six years with the Asian American Hotel Owners Association before taking on his new role.
For more information about HFTP, visit www.hftp.org
